Rail car switching, shunting, and classification are integral aspects of rail freight operations. These procedures are performed in switching yards or classification yards, which include multiple rail tracks branching from one or more lead tracks and joining together at one or more exits. To maximize operational efficiency, several cars or trains of cars are typically moving simultaneously along different branches within a yard. Due to the presence of multiple stationary rail cars or stub trains on intervening tracks, an operator in a locomotive moving on a first track may not be able to see moving cars on a track branching from the first track. Accordingly, locomotive operators may coordinate their actions via a yardmaster stationed in a control tower overlooking the yard.
Three-way communication between operators and a yardmaster can introduce lag time and error, which are undesirable while moving multiple pieces of heavy rail equipment. As such, some yards include systems that utilize a yardmaster to remotely control and coordinate movement of multiple stub trains.
Remote monitoring and operation of rail equipment may also be useful in other contexts. For example, known systems are used in the coal and iron ore industries for rail car loadout or control of a dumper track. These systems require closely coordinating linear movement of a train along a loading track, with simultaneous adjustment of bulk cargo flow from a dump chute into open cars of the train.
As will be appreciated, when simultaneously monitoring and coordinating multiple stub trains, or when operating loader/dumper systems, yardmasters can benefit from using an intuitive multi-mode operator control unit (OCU) to control each train.